Explosive having liquid air as alpha base



Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

PATENT QFFEQ GUILLAUME WEBER, 0F HAYANGE, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO SOCIETE: LES PETITS FILS DE FRANCOIS DE WENDEL ET CIE., OF HAYANGE, FRANCE.

EXPLOSIVE HAVING LIQUID AIR AS A BASE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUILLAUME WEBER, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Hayange, Moselle, in the Republic of France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosives Having Liquid Air as a Base, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of known explosives containing liquid air and combustible metallic powders, combustible substances such as carbon, saw dust, cork flour, soot or the like, or in other cases inert substances such as infusorial earth have been hitherto employed for absorbing the liquid air. Absorbent substances having a high percentage of carbon are often attended with the drawback of forming an explosive which is too sudden in its action for use with certain rocks and of giving rise togases which are prejudicial to the health in the case of an incomplete combustion.

By the use of infusorial earth as the absorbent substance, the force of the explosi-ve is diminishedby reason of the incombustibility of this material, and in this manner it becomesnecessary to employ larger quantities of metallic powder of a more or less expensive nature in order to obtain a suitable effect.

The infusorial earth has on the contrary an advanta e in-the fact that it possesses a great absor ing power for liquid air and that it does not give rise to the formation of toxic gases. The drawbacks of the one as well as the other of these absorbent bodies are obviated by the simultaneous use of the two substances, either mixed together or separate, thereby constituting the explosive according to this invention.

As concerns the combustible powders, which may also be employed separately or mixed with the absorbent substances, these Application filed August 25, 1921. Serial No. 495,320.

may consist of aluminium, antimony, magnesium, iron, silicon, the silicides, silicide of iron, silicide of calcium, blast furnace dust, or the like. The force of the explosive thus prepared may be considerably increased by the addition of hydrocarbons such as petroleum, benzol, naphthaline, paraffin, etc. The ignition is carried out after intro-ducing the priming or fuse into the explosive charge, or still more simply by placing the fuse beside the cartridge in the blast hole.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An explosive comprising a combustible metallic powder serving to produce the explosion, an absorbent substance composed of an inert absorbent body and a combustible absorbent body and liquid air impregnating said absorbent substance.

2. An explosive comprising a plurality of combustible powders susceptible of producing the explosion, an absorbent substance composed of an inert absorbent body and a combustible absorbent body and liquid air impregnating said absorbent substance.

3, An explosive comprising a combustible metalliferous powder susceptible of producing the explosion, an absorbent substance composed of infusorial earth and a combustible absorbent, and liquid air impregnating said absorbent substance.

4. An explosive comprising a combustible metallic powder serving to produce the explosion, an absorbent substance composed of an inert absorbent body, a combustible absorbent body, hydrocarbons and liquid air impregnating said absorbent substance.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GUILLAUME WEBER. 

